Rahm Emanuel (Chicago Teachers' Strike)

News about Rahm Emanuel (Chicago Teachers' Strike), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 2, 2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls for revision of how city funds teacher pensions in light of $200 million in budget cuts for public schools and plans to eliminate 1,400 jobs. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, as part of plan to help fix city's financial problems, says he will stop bond restructurings that move debt payments to future years as well as use of interest-rate swaps. MORE

Apr. 29, 2015

Mayor Rahm Emanuel welcomes NFL's decision to move draft to his Chicago, first time event will be held in city and first outside New York since 1964; Emanuel pursued bid fiercely, and has hailed it as economic boon for city. MORE

Apr. 21, 2015

Editorial applauds Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to provide reparations for scores of mainly African-American men tortured by police under commander Jon Burge in 1970s and '80s; holds recent shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald and subsequent $5 million settlement with his family point to continued failings of city's police force; urges public release of police dash-cam footage of McDonald shooting as means of ensuring transparency and regaining public trust. MORE

Apr. 9, 2015

Unprecedented mayoral runoff election in Chicago has exposed surprising level of political vulnerability for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, despite fact that he won by decisive margin; remains to be seen whether Emanuel's new, humbler tone will have lasting place in his second term. MORE

Apr. 8, 2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is re-elected in runoff with challenger Jesus G Garcia, who received 44 percent of vote compared to Emanuel's 56 percent. MORE

Apr. 7, 2015

Rising discontent with plane-related noise pollution has become an unlikely factor in Chicago's impending mayoral election; Chicago Dept of Aviation has registered more than 39,500 noise complaints in area around O'Hare International Airport this year; mayoral challenger Jesus G Garcia has leveraged perception that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has not given issue enough attention. MORE

Apr. 6, 2015

Series of legal decisions and number of anti-corruption investigations have upended electoral landscape in Chicago by dismantling Democratic political machine that dominated elections for decades; change explains in part Mayor Rahm Emanuel's difficult re-election campaign, and accounts for large role organized labor has played in election, particularly in way Chicago Teachers Union has backed Emanuel's rival Jesus G Garcia. MORE

Apr. 4, 2015

Chicago mayoral candidate Jesus G Garcia is trying to assemble coalition of white liberals, blacks and Latinos, but faces prominent lead by Mayor Rahm Emanuel ahead of runoff election; challenge for Garcia is overcoming ethnic rivalries and suspicions. MORE

Apr. 3, 2015

Billionaire Republican investor Kenneth C Griffin, owner of $26 billion investment firm Citadel, has given almost $1.3 million to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's election campaigns since 2010, most of it in 2015; Jesus G Garcia, facing Emanuel in election runoff, accuses him of letting Chicago's wealthy 'pay to play' and says Griffin benefits from relationship with Emanuel. MORE

Mar. 31, 2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying to soften his image in lead-up to runoff election; tactic seems to be acknowledgment of fact that his abrasive personality and hardball tactics may have turned enough voters off for him to fail to win more than 50 percent of vote in February; Emanuel has tried to convey to voters that he is cognizant of brash ways he may have dealt with issues in his first term, as in his treatment of unions and decision to close public schools. MORE

Mar. 22, 2015

Progressive groups both in Chicago and nationally are hoping to use competitive runoff election in Chicago between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Jesus G Garcia to highlight Democratic Party establishment's ties to wealthy donors and business; fact that Emanuel has record of accomplishment on many liberal priorities illustrates expectations of a resurgent political left. MORE

Mar. 17, 2015

Chicago mayoral candidates Rahm Emanuel and Jesus G Garcia meet in first of three televised debates as April 7th runoff election approaches. MORE

Mar. 16, 2015

Voters in Chicago are not getting clear messages on issues from Jesus G Garcia, county commissioner who is competing against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in runoff election; critics of Garcia say he has offered only vague plans about how to address city's financial condition, which only adds to his status as underdog in race. MORE

Mar. 14, 2015

Jesus G Garcia, who is challenging Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in April 7 runoff, announces his financial plan for Chicago, but offers no specifics on how to solve budget and pension shortfalls. MORE

Mar. 13, 2015

Willie Wilson, Chicago businessman who bowed out of city's mayoral race, throws support behind Jesus G Garcia, challenger to incumbent Rahm Emanuel; endorsement comes despite personal appeal from Pres Obama, and could burnish Garcia's image in the eyes of African-American voters who have wavered in their support for Emanuel. MORE

Mar. 4, 2015

Political future of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who faces unexpected runoff in his re-election bid, is threatened by his education agenda aimed at turning around troubled school system and improving graduation rates; some families are upset over his closing of almost 50 public schools on the South and West Sides that were deemed underperforming, underutilized or both. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

Strong showing in Chicago mayoral election by little-known Hispanic County Commissioner Jesus G Garcia, forcing runoff with incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel, highlights decline of Emanuel's standing with many residents; critics say Emanuel has catered to interests of wealthy over working class. MORE

Feb. 25, 2015

Chicago's incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel wins 45.5 percent of vote in re-election bid, but falls short of 50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid runoff election; challenger Jesus Garcia wins 33.9 percent of vote, securing place in runoff; results come as blow to Emanuel, who entered office in 2011 with 55 percent of vote but who has clashed with with teachers and lost favor among black residents. MORE

Feb. 23, 2015

Op-Ed article by author Megan Stielstra notes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is likely to win re-election despite his lukewarm popularity in city; observes residents feel he has focused too much on city's elite, and done little to address violence and improve education; expresses hope that Emanuel does not win simply due to his campaign coffers and voter apathy. MORE

Feb. 20, 2015

Pres Obama, visiting Chicago to sign proclamation creating the Pullman National Monument, gives hearty endorsement to former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who faces re-election in one week. MORE

Feb. 18, 2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is seen as front-runner in his bid for second term, but faces uncertainty over support among black voters, who comprise one-third of city's population of 2.7 million; must gain at least one vote over 50 percent to avoid runoff against any of four lesser-financed, less-well-known candidates. MORE

Dec. 3, 2014

Chicago City Council approves Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposal to gradually increase city's minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2019, from $8.25. MORE

Sep. 4, 2014

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel returns about $14,000 to the city after courting campaign donors while traveling at taxpayer expense; questions arose about expenses after The Chicago Tribune analyzed Emanuel's campaign disclosures, public schedules and other documents. MORE

Jun. 17, 2014

Federal Judge Sidney I Schenkier liberates Chicago from oversight intended to prevent politically motivated hirings, firings and harassment of government employees, but warns that the system is not immune from corruption and still needs to be watched to ensure that the staid past does not return; says administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel has taken proper steps to prove that it has complied with decades-old accord, known as the Shakman decrees. MORE

Jun. 13, 2014

Chicagoans, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, are chagrined by installation of twenty-foot-tall sign on Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago; Donald Trump is robustly defending decision to erect sign, saying it is good for city's image. MORE

Jun. 10, 2014

Illinois Gov Pat Quinn signs legislation to help Chicago reduce pension shortfall but urges Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City Council not to raise property taxes for additional revenues; law would nearly eliminate the $9.4 billion shortfall by cutting benefits and increasing contribution for the city and employees. MORE

May. 30, 2014

Editorial praises Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's gun safety proposals, which are designed to pass constitutional muster while upholding city's basic obligation to protect citizens; notes that proposals are in response to ever more restrictive court rulings against enactment of sensible gun control laws; contends proposals are rooted in proven reforms that Congress should be considering nationally. MORE

May. 29, 2014

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel outlines plan to make city’s gun laws, already some of the strictest in the country, even tougher; introduces proposal to City Council that would require that all gun sales be videotaped in effort to deter buyers from using false identification; gun buyers could make only one purchase each month, and gun shops would not be allowed within 500 feet of schools or parks. MORE

Apr. 2, 2014

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration has begun an urgent push to require some city workers to pay more for their retirement benefits and to raise property taxes; moves are intended to address one of the most poorly funded pension systems among the nation's major cities. MORE

Mar. 14, 2014

Former Chicago alderman and Cook County commissioner Robert Shaw announces he will challenge fellow Democrat Rahm Emanuel for Chicago mayor in 2015. MORE

Mar. 7, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio makes rare joint appearance with other big city mayors, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, at forum at the University of Chicago; de Blasio leaves nuts-and-bolts details of municipal maintenance to his peers, preferring philosophical points over statistical detail as he describes his first two months on job. MORE

Dec. 5, 2013

Chicago is pursuing deal to relieve its staggering pension systems on heels of Illinois passing landmark bill to trim retirement benefits for state workers; under state law, city must increase its contributions to its workers' pensions funds by $590 million in 2015; Mayor Rahm Emanuel says that if no deal is reached by November 2014, when city drafts its next budget, it will be forced to raise taxes or cut services or some combination of both. MORE

Oct. 24, 2013

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposes a spending plan for 2014 that is full of nips and tucks, but says small cuts will not address looming pension obligations in city's 2015 budget. MORE

Jun. 11, 2013

Chicago has seen a drop in shootings and crime, one year after city drew new attention for soaring gun violence and gang bloodshed; killings in 2013 have dipped to level not seen since early 1960s; shift comes after as many as 400 officers a day, working overtime, were dispatched to just 20 small zones deemed city’s most dangerous; it remains to be seen whether trend will be lasting, and what impact it will have on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's re-election bid. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls on Illinois lawmakers to increase minimum sentences for gun crimes in state and require violators to serve bulk of those prison sentences; push comes as one piece of larger effort to stem gang-connected violence that contributed to over 500 deaths in Chicago in 2012. MORE

Feb. 1, 2013

Op-Ed article by Boston College professor Alicia H Munnell contends that public pension plans should not be used to make political statements, as was case when Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked boards of city's public plans to end investments in gun companies in wake of Newtown, Conn, shooting. MORE

Jan. 25, 2013

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel urges chief executives at TD Bank and Bank of America to stop financing firearms companies Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Company; move is part of a new willingness by public officials to wield the power of public pension funds in the fight for stricter gun regulations. MORE

Oct. 11, 2012

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says city could be forced to cut services or raise property taxes by 150 percent without comprehensive pension reform in Illinois. MORE

Sep. 18, 2012

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is seeking a preliminary injunction to end to the city's teacher's strike, now in its second week, placing himself firmly in the center of the standoff; if the teachers' union delegates do not accept a proposed contract at a scheduled vote, then a court will hear the city's case for an injunction. MORE

Sep. 14, 2012

David Brooks Op-Ed column, in light of the Chicago teachers' strike, argues that the Chicago school system is a perfect example of how organizations become bloated and inefficient under government control; contends that Rahm Emanuel's handling of the strike will be a significant test of whether public institutions can undergo true reform in the hands of a decisive executive. MORE

Sep. 12, 2012

Karen Lewis, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union, has infuriated City Hall and thrilled the tens of thousands of teachers on strike by forcefully striking out against Mayor Rahm Emanuel; some city residents say the toxic relationship between Emanuel and Lewis helped push the city's teacher contract talks to the point of crisis. MORE

Sep. 12, 2012

Editorial asserts the teachers' strike in Chicago is unnecessary, will hurt the city's students and damages the reputation of the Chicago Teachers Union; holds strike seems particularly senseless because it is partly a product of a personality clash between union president Karen Lewis and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. MORE

Sep. 6, 2012

Senior Democrats enlist Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to focus on raising money for Democratic super PACs, which are being vastly outspent by their Republican counterparts; Emanuel will leave his role as honorary co-chairman of Obama's reelection campaign to organize the effort. MORE

Jul. 11, 2012

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he will propose an ordinance that would bar the police from turning over illegal immigrants to federal agents if they do not have criminal convictions or outstanding criminal warrants; proposal is latest challenge to Obama administration's immigration policies. MORE

May. 20, 2012

Tensions mount in Chicago on the eve of a NATO summit meeting after three men are arrested on charges of planning attacks on Pres Obama's re-election campaign headquarters, the house of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, police stations and downtown financial institutions; Brent Betterly, Brian Jacob Church and Jared Chase face terrorism charges. MORE

May. 17, 2012

Chicago is preparing to host the first NATO summit meeting to be held on American soil outside of Washington; summit represents both a coup and a challenge for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who will have to manage security for thousands of dignitaries alongside large-scale protests from the Occupy movement. MORE

Apr. 19, 2012

Chicago City Council approves Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s ordinance to install speed cameras near parks and schools citywide and to ticket violators up to $100. MORE